


A Fortunate Misunderstanding

by Daniff



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, POV Alternating, TW: implied self-harm, english teacher!sasuke, mystic messenger inspired me to write this, swimming coach!naruto, tw: anxiety attack, tw: car accident, tw: death, tw: panic attack, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-02-07 04:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21452287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daniff/pseuds/Daniff
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke decide to play a silly video game but little do they know that there's more to it than they expected. How will it change their lives?
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Hoozuki Suigetsu & Karin, Nara Shikamaru & Temari, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 28
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As I said in the tags, I've been playing Mystic Messenger and that's what inspired me to write this fic. Naruto and Sasuke will play a very similar game. I'll take inspiration from certain elements of Mystic Messenger (such as plot and certain characters' personalities) but my game will work in a different way so that it fits my story. 
> 
> In this fic, everyone is around the same age (28). Naturally, they're written the way I perceive them and I'll try my best to be faithful to them (unlike a certain someone *cough* Kishi *cough*). 
> 
> If you find any mistakes or if you just want to say something, feel free to leave a comment! :3 I hope you enjoy my semi-decent writing!! *laughs nervously*

The bell rang.

“Don’t forget that your essays are due on Tuesday! I want them all on my desk and don’t even dream of making up excuses! You have the whole weekend to write it. You may now leave.”

All students slowly got up and started leaving the classroom. It was their last period and they were all visibly amused about going home.

“Have a good weekend, Mr. Uchiha”, a girl was smiling at him as she was leaving.

Sasuke simply nodded while cleaning the white board. He was exhausted after such a long day of classes. Although he liked his job, being a teacher could feel very demanding especially when he had many tests and essays to correct. For example, he knew he would spend almost the whole weekend doing corrections. Yet, he couldn’t help but look forward to doing it in the comfort of his home.

Sasuke had barely arrived home when he felt his phone vibrate inside his jacket’s pocket. He unlocked his phone, sighing deeply at the sight of the text message he had just received.

_‘Hey, Sas! Wanna grab a drink tonight? The first round is on me!! Karin and Juugo are coming too. Meet us outside Tsunade’s at 9:00 PM. See u later!!’ – Suigetsu_

Sasuke sighed once again. He was tired but it was finally Friday so he wouldn’t mind having a much needed drink...or two.

**********

Naruto whistled so that everyone in the pool could hear him.

“Alright, everyone! We’ve trained enough for today. I’m very proud to say that every single one of you has been making a lot of progress lately. Keep up with the good work! I’ll see you next week!!”

That day had been a very productive one. Seeing everyone’s improvement motivated him to become better too. He couldn’t lag behind as a coach.

_‘Absolutely not!’ _he smiled _‘Oh let me check the time.’_ Naruto took a look at his watch _‘8 PM?! Crap, Sakura is going to kill me if I arrive late! I promised I’d be at the restaurant on time!’_

Naruto quickly picked up his things and drove home. 30 minutes would be enough for him to go home, take a shower, change into some nice clothes and then drive to the restaurant. At least, that’s what Naruto was hoping for.

Naruto made it just in time. Sakura and Ino were at the entrance of the restaurant, probably waiting for everyone to arrive. Sai and Chouji were already there too. Naruto smiled, waving at them.

“Hey, guys!”

Sakura beamed as soon as she laid eyes on him. Ino was right behind her. Naruto couldn’t help but notice the way the blonde’s hands were gently resting on Sakura’s hips. That and the huge diamond ring she was wearing. He glanced at Sakura’s left hand to confirm his suspicions. He snorted.

“Jeez, guys. Get a room already!” he loved teasing the two girls. Sakura’s facial expressions were priceless.

“Shut up, Naruto...” Sakura was visibly flushed.

“Stop teasing my girlfriend, blondie. She will punch you with no hesitation.” Ino winked at him playfully.

He heard Sakura clear her throat.

“Anyway, now we just have to wait for Shikamaru and his girlfriend to get here. They must be on their way. I knew not everyone would be here on time. That’s why I told you to be here 30 minutes earlier.”

“Wait, wait, wait...hold on!” Naruto shook his head in confusion “Since when does he have a girlfriend?!”

Ino immediately burst out laughing. Naruto scratched the back of his head with a quizzed look on his face.

“You didn’t know about that?! Naruto, do you even check the messages on our group chat? Everyone knows!” said Ino in between chuckles.

“Everyone but me apparently”

“Nothing I hadn’t expected from a dumbass like you” Sai was grinning mischievously.

Naruto growled.

“I’m not that dumb, Sa-“

“Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Shikamaru had finally arrived and, just as Sakura had said, he brought his girlfriend. Naruto didn’t know her but he had to admit that she seemed pretty cool and a bit intimidating. The girl spoke.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Temari! I’m afraid this dumbass didn’t tell you my name.” She said, pointing at her boyfriend “I’m very pleased to finally meet you all.”

After everyone introduced themselves, Sakura interrupted their talk.

“Alright, shall we go inside? I reserved a table a few days ago so we just have sit and order our food. Either way, it’s rather chilly outside and I don’t want to catch a cold.”

The group headed inside the fancy restaurant Sakura had chosen.

It was mid October and the autumnal nights were getting colder and colder. Naruto loved autumn because he liked the way the leaves on the trees changed colours. Besides, pools during spring and summer get pretty busy limiting his time to train his swimming which was just as important to him as being a coach.

**********

Sasuke was the first to arrive at _Tsunade’s._ The name of the bar could be read on the red neon sign that was right above the front door. It was a small bar but Sasuke and his group of friends had been going there for a few years and, somehow, it had become a tradition for them to gather there to have a few drinks from time to time.

Sasuke put his hands inside the pockets of his black trench coat as it was cold. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to wait long for everyone else to arrive. He was wearing a burgundy turtleneck sweater, paired with black jeans and black boots. Even though he had grown out of his “emo” phase (like Suigetsu used to call it), he still preferred dark colours to bright ones. Especially black.

He turned his head to look as he heard the deep rumble of Suigetsu’s KTM motorbike getting closer. Karin was seating behind him.

_‘Uh, I didn’t think those two could survive spending more than 5 minutes alone. Apparently, I was wrong huh?’_ Sasuke smirked.

“Hey, Sas! You made it!”

“Sasuke! You’re here too!” Karin practically ran to greet Sasuke.

“Tch. I thought we were supposed to meet at 9.”

“Yeah, sorry man. I had to pick up Karin. Juugo was supposed to give us a ride but he texted me saying he wouldn’t be able to come so...”

“Well, now that we’re here, we should get inside” suggested Karin. As per usual, the young woman wasn’t dressed in proper gear for such cold weather. Seeing her like that made Sasuke roll his eyes.

“I still think your motorcycle is too cool for you, Suigetsu.” commented Sasuke as he stepped inside the bar.

“Shut up, Sasuke.”

“Hn.” He smirked.


	2. Chapter 2

Almost everyone had finished eating, except for Chouji who kept ordering more food.

“Hmmm... this food is delicious. I didn’t know such a restaurant existed but I’ll have to come back here in the future.” said Chouji after finally finishing his meal.

Sakura called a waiter and asked him to bring a bottle of champagne. Sai looked intrigued.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something, Sakura. Why did you want us all to meet here? Is today some sort of special day?”

The table fell silent. Sakura’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she exchanged looks with Ino. No one could see it but, underneath the table, both women were holding hands.

“You’re right, Sai. Ino and I wanted to make an announcement.” They exchanged looks once again. Everyone was looking at them. “We’re engaged!” both girls showed their hands so that everyone else could see their rings.

Sai, Chouji and Temari were the ones who looked like they had been caught by surprise. Naruto grinned and Shikamaru snorted. The waiter had come back with a bottle of champagne and glasses. Temari broke the silence.

“Congratulations, guys! Have you started thinking about the wedding?”

“Well, hopefully it will happen next year. We’ve already talked about a few details like the place and the date. You’re welcome to helps us, guys, just saying.” Ino was grinning from ear to ear.

Naruto was genuinely happy for his friends. They made a cute couple and he remembered the time when Sakura called him in the middle of the night, desperate for his help because she thought she was falling in love with her best friend.

“Well, shall we toast to the two lovebirds?” Naruto got up, raising his glass and everyone followed him. “To Sakura and Ino! May they live happily ever after!”

**********

Sasuke roamed the bar. There weren’t many people there apart from him and his friends which he couldn’t complain about. He liked the quiet cosy ambiance of that place. He took a look at the owner. She seemed to be quite engrossed in a wrestling bout that was on television.

They sat a table further in the back of the room. The waitress quickly came to take their orders.

“Goodnight, what’s your order?”

Suigetsu was the first to order.

“I’d like to have a screwdriver, please.”

The woman’s dark brown eyes locked on Karin’s.

“Hmmmm. Can I have cranberry orange mimosa?”

Sasuke spoke before the waitress could take his order.

“I’ll have a bloody Mary, please.”

Suigetsu turned to Sasuke as soon as the waitress walked away.

“Man, how can you drink that? That drink is nasty.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. The blonde man continued talking, ignoring his friend’s eye roll. He was already used to that.

“Anyway, how’s work?”

“I’ve been more tired than usual because it’s “tests season” which means that I have a ton of tests and essays correct. Tomorrow, I’ll be doing corrections all day so I can’t drink much today.”

Karin was resting her chin on her right hand, silently listening to the men talk while admiring Sasuke Uchiha, the man she had a crush on. Unfortunately for her, Sasuke didn’t take an interest on the opposite gender which meant that she had no other option but to move on. Pursuing this any further would only be humiliating for both of them.

“That sounds tough, Sas.”

Sasuke simply shrugged.

“Nothing I can’t deal with.”

For a brief moment, none of them spoke. Only the sound of the television and the chatter coming from other tables could be heard.

“What about your love life?”

Sasuke took a sip of his drink.

“What about it?”

“Suigetsu wants to know if you have a boyfriend, Sasuke”

Sasuke heard a note of frustration in Karin’s voice.

“I’m not seeing anyone but I also don’t feel like doing that. What about you? You two seem closer than you used to be. Did I miss something?”

Karin almost fell off her chair and Suigetsu almost chocked on his drink.

“Are you kidding me?! Can you imagine me going out with this woman?”

Karin was visibly flushed with embarrassment.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sasuke! Never in a million years would I date someone like Suigetsu!”

Sasuke snorted, taking another sip of his bloody Mary.

“Besides, I already have a boyfriend who’s way better than either of you”

Suigetsu burst out laughing.

“Don’t tell me that you’re talking about that game. You know that the guy is not real, right? What was his name? Zane? Zenjirou? Zen?”

“It’s Zenjirou and you know it. Shut up!”

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

“What are you two talking about, a video game?”

“Yes! I’ve been playing a game called Unknown. It’s a simulation game where you, the main character, receive a message from an unknown number. Then you find out that you have to work for an organisation that plans and hosts parties and other events. After four or five days of playing the game, you get one of the other character’s routes which means that you can find out more about them and about the organisation and you can even date them but you can also play as one of the main characters after you reach a certain level. It’s very addicting. I highly recommend it. Besides, the characters are great.”

“She told me her colleagues at work couldn’t stop talking about the game so she decided to give it a try.” Suigetsu paused, leaning closer to Sasuke so that he seemed to be whispering something in the other man’s ear. “She’s been obsessed ever since then.”

Karin snorted, adjusting her glasses.

“I can hear you, you idiot! Besides, how can you blame me for loving a game like this?” she took a sip of her mimosa “After all, fictional men are better than real life men. No offence, though.”

“Right. See, Sasuke? She’s obsessed.”

Sasuke heard Karin mumble something under her breath.

“What’s that game’s name? Unknown?”

“Yes. It’s free and very entertaining. You can choose the gender of your character unless you’re playing as one of the other characters. So you can date the male characters even if your character is a male too. There’s only one female character anyways... Oh and one of the guys kinda reminds me of you, lol. Don’t ask me why.”

Sasuke finished his drink.

_‘Maybe I’ll give that game a go. It’s just a silly game anyways.’_

**********

“So, Naruto... tells us about your love life.” said Ino with a smirk.

The other blonde was visibly flustered.

“My love life is inexistent. I don’t even know why we’re talking about this, Ino.”

“Oh come on, Naruto! I’m sure you’ve at least met someone since Sora broke up with you. I mean, that was more than a year ago.”

At first, Naruto frowned at his friend’s insistence but a trace of sadness was visible on his face. Ino’s softened as she realised what her words had done to her friend. Naruto finally spoke.

“First of all, he didn’t break up with me. It was a mutual decision. We both decided it was best to part ways.” The blonde snorted “We would have to do it anyways. And second, I haven’t met anyone interesting enough for me to want to be in a relationship again. Besides, I don’t have that much free time as I’m always in the pool.” He shrugged.

Sakura was the one to speak this time.

“Well, maybe you’ll meet some hot guy who’s terrible at swimming and who needs a lesson from the hottest coach in that pool. You never know.”

“That seems unlikely. We all know Naruto only coaches old ladies.” said Sai in a teasing tone. He loved teasing Naruto for some reason the blonde couldn’t figure out.

Shikamaru sighed soundly, shaking his head.

“Shut up, Sai! You know that’s not true!” Naruto scratched the back of his head “They’re not that old.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

“This reminds me of something.”

The group fell silent, turning their attention to Sai.

“There’s this cool dating slash story simulation game that might interest you, Naruto.”

Chouji finally spoke. He had been too busy eating the waffles he had ordered for dessert.

“Oh, that new game everyone has been talking about lately? What’s its name? Un-“

Sai interrupted him.

“It’s called Unknown. It’s really entertaining.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of it! I was actually planning on checking it out but since you, of all people, are recommending it...hmmmm...maybe I shouldn’t play it.” Naruto liked teasing Sai too. The other man simply rolled his eyes.

The group stayed there for another hour until they decided to part ways. Naruto enjoyed spending time with his friends. They were always busy so they didn’t get to see each other as often as they’d like. However, he was glad to go home after such a tiring day.

**********

As much as Sasuke liked drinking and chatting (well...just drinking actually), it was getting late. He didn’t want to stay up too late since he was planning on getting up early the next day to get as much work done as possible.

Sasuke got up and grabbed his jacket and wallet.

“Well, I need to get going. It’s getting late and I’m tired. Are you two staying?”

His friends exchanged glances. Karin spoke.

“Nah, I’d rather go home too.”

“Same.”

The group paid their drinks and left the bar.

“So I’ll see you around.” said Sasuke while getting in his car.

It was only a 10-minute drive from the bar to his home. Sasuke was so tired that he only had time to download the game to his phone before falling asleep.

_‘Unknown, huh? I can’t wait to see what the fuss is all about.’ _he thought as he drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! :3


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto woke up the next morning with a slight headache. He hadn’t slept well at all. How could he sleep when he kept thinking of his ex? That had been Ino’s fault.

_‘Ino and her big mouth’ _he sighed, taking a glance at his alarm clock.

6:27 AM. He would usually wake up at 6:30 so that he could go jogging at the nearest park to his flat – the city’s park - and still have enough time to do his morning routine. Even on weekends he couldn’t slack off. To him, a professional swimmer and swimming coach, his work-out routine was essential. He could never miss a day, no matter the weather, unless, of course, he was sick.

The alarm clock rang. It was finally 6:30. Naruto tossed off his bed sheets and immediately got up, heading to the toilet. In less than fifteen minutes, he was ready, wearing his jogging suit. The young man was already closing the door to his flat when he suddenly noticed he hadn’t brought his water bottle.

_‘Gotta stay hydrated!’ _he beamed as he shoved the water bottle in his small backpack.

**********

Sasuke could only sleep in complete silence and darkness. Even a tiny beam of light wouldn’t let him fall asleep. He didn’t have trouble falling asleep per se, as long as his room was pitch-black. Even the little light on his phone while charging would be enough to prevent him from falling asleep.

He woke up, groaning as he rolled over to his side, feeling around to find his phone. He sighed, squinting at the brightness of its screen. It was 6.30 AM.

He knew he would be busy that weekend doing corrections so he thought he might as well get up earlier than he normally would.

_‘I haven’t exercised in a quite a while’ _he thought as he headed to the toilet._’ Maybe I should go for a quick run at the park’_

Sasuke threw on his navy blue tracksuit, packed a small backpack with a water bottle, his phone, headphones and his wallet and headed to the park. The city’s park was only two blocks away from his flat.

He tried to exercise as much as his busy routine would let him but he spent most of his time at school and, even at home, he had school-related work to do. Consequently, he wasn’t left with much time for leisure activities such as exercising or even reading which he really loved, so this quick morning run was exactly what he needed.

**********

It was quite early for a Saturday morning so Naruto was used to being one of the very few people at the park. Because it was already mid October, it was rather dark outside at that hour. The dull orange light of the street lamps and the morning mist were giving that place an eerie ambience. However, the sun started gracing those at the park, announced by the sunbeams that reached the ground in between branches of trees.

It was such a pretty sight that Naruto wished he had brought his phone so that he could take a photo. He didn’t like bringing his phone to his morning runs because, in his view, it was unnecessary as he preferred to use his smart watch instead. This meant that he didn’t like to listen to music either. He would rather hear the chirping of the birds and the rustle of the leaves dancing with the breeze than listening to his favourite songs.

Naruto had always been deeply connected to nature ever since he was a small child. He loved everything and anything related to it. The natural world fascinated him, especially anything related to water. That’s where his love for swimming came from.

Naruto was looking at his watch when someone bumped into him.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” a dark-haired man apologised, taking off his headphones.

“No problem. I was the one who wasn’t paying attention” Naruto giggled, scratching the back of his head.

The other man stayed silent for a moment. Deep dark eyes were looking back at Naruto.

“Then, excuse me” the man said as he moved out of Naruto’s way and continued running.

Naruto wasn’t given any time to reply and to make things more awkward, his face felt warmer than before.

_‘What’s with that guy?’ _he wondered as he observed him regain his pace.

He had never seen the other man there before. Maybe he was new to the neighbourhood or something. Naruto didn’t quite know but there was something about the other man that intrigued him, to say the least. Well, that was none of his business anyways. He just shrugged and went on with his run, the memory of those obsidian-like eyes still in his mind.

**********

The warm water falling from the showerhead felt good on Sasuke’s skin. He had his eyes closed, letting himself feel every drop falling on his skin. Long dark lashes touching rosy cheeks.

The hot water and the soft smell of his shampoo were making him feel relaxed until memories of a blond-haired stranger suddenly flashed behind his eyelids. Sasuke shot his eyes open. He could feel his cheeks and ears burning. He was still so embarrassed and that feeling wouldn’t wash off unlike his sweat. He sighed. _ ‘A man must not show signs of being flushed in such situations.’ _That’s what his father would say to him when he and his brother were children.

Apart from embarrassment, Sasuke remembered having a weird sensation when his eyes met the other man’s but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He only knew that he had never felt that way before.

“Eyes as blue as the clear sky on a spring day” he whispered to himself.

After eating breakfast, Sasuke thought it was finally time to sit down at his desk and start correcting his students’ tests. Just the thought of having to correct essays in a couple days was giving him a headache. Essays were much harder to correct than tests, at least in his opinion. He looked at his phone to check the time. He leaned back on his office chair.

_‘First, let’s check Unknown’ _he decided, remembering the previous night’s conversation with Karin and Suigetsu _‘It must be just another silly game’ _he sneered.

Despite that thought, he couldn’t help but be curious, especially because Karin had said there was a character similar to him. That couldn’t be a good sign, though.

He clicked on the game’s icon and a menu appeared, suggesting him to sign up.

“Ugh, of course I have to create an account” he rolled his eyes. In his opinion, that was already another bad sign. Funnily enough, he found himself confirming his username and password.

Then, it was time to choose a “profile photo”. He could either choose one from his phone’s gallery or one from the game’s default profile pictures. He chose the latter, opting for the photo of a male dark-haired character that was dressed in a suit.

_‘Maybe this was the guy Karin was referring to’_

He was founding the game quite easy to understand but he decided to text Karin later to ask her a few questions.

**********

After coming home, Naruto took a long bath and ate a light breakfast. Because he still had some spare time before his only lesson of the day, he decided to run some quick errands. He worked as a coach at the municipal swimming pools and he also trained there during his free time unless the inside pool was packed. That usually wasn’t a problem around that time of the year, especially Saturdays.

There was a group of elders whose lesson was always on Saturdays morning. Naruto really liked to work with that particular group. It was mostly composed of ladies except for a man. He found them all to be nice people. Nice enough for him to feel free to tease them and to let them tease him back.

The lesson was over at 11:30 but Naruto was planning on training until late afternoon, only taking a few breaks to eat and to let his body rest.

His childhood dream was to become a professional swimmer and to compete in local, national and international competitions. Naturally, he also dreamed of becoming an Olympic swimmer.

He studied and trained hard to become a good swimmer. His determination and great stamina combined with his natural talent turned him into a gold and silver medallist. However, he had always been prone to frequently suffering from burnouts. Naruto had had his last one two years ago. It had affected his mental health and his body so badly that his coach advised him to take some time off of competitions and swimming in general. Despite his coach’s advice, Naruto refused to stay away from water for too long. Thanks to that, he was offered a job as a coach at the city’s pools. At first, he felt hesitant but, after giving swimming lessons for a couple of weeks, Naruto found out the joy of passing down his knowledge to other people even if they didn’t have intention of becoming professionals. Just helping people learn how to properly swim made him proud enough of having become a coach. However, he still hoped to continue his career as a professional swimmer. That’s why he trained every day, except for Sundays, if possible.

Naruto was so tired he immediately changed into his pyjamas as soon as he got home. He didn’t have any leftovers from previous meals and he also didn’t think he had the energy to cook.

_‘Maybe I’ll just order some take out. I’ve been craving some ramen. I haven’t had it in so long.’ _

It would take around half an hour for his order to come and Naruto was bored. He had turned on the TV but there was nothing worth-watching on there so he turned it off.

_‘Wait!’ _he quickly picked up his phone_ ‘Let me check out that game Sai was talking about. It must be something fishy but... I’m too curious!’ _

Naruto almost squealed when he saw the menu. He didn’t even think twice before signing up. There were a few characters in the game. From what Sai had told him, Naruto knew that the more he played, the better he would get to know the characters. There was one, however, that immediately caught his eye.

_‘Dark-hair and dark eyes, huh? Just like him.’_

It had been hours since their brief encounter but, for some reason, Naruto kept thinking about the dark-haired man he had met at the park all throughout the day. There was something about the man that had struck him. The way he had looked at him intrigued him. In that moment, Naruto couldn’t help but notice how attractive the man was.

That thought brought flush to his scarred cheeks. Naruto shook his head.

_‘We just bumped into each other by chance and it didn’t mean anything. Don’t think too much about this’_ he told himself.

The doorbell rang and Naruto got up as soon as he heard it.

“Ramen, ramen, ramen!” he chanted in anticipation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading!!!!!!!

The next day, Sasuke was able to correct every test before lunch time which had been his goal from the start. After all, he wanted to, at least, have some free time on that day.

As he was starting to prepare his food, his phone buzzed. Sasuke very reluctantly picked up his phone.

_‘Dear Mr. Uchiha! _

_Would you like to grace us with your presence at the usual place? Karin is already here and Juugo is on his way. We will be awaiting you. :P_

_Best regards, _

_Suigetsu Hozuki_ _’ - Suigetsu _

Dumb Suigetsu and his weird (un)funny tendencies. Sasuke knew his friend was a lost cause. He had learnt it many years ago.

_‘Well, I guess I could enjoy some company. I have nothing else to do anyways and I’m so tired.’ _

If someone asked him about his friends, he would say he had the most annoying and the most incompatible group of friends who made him roll his eyes but always with an almost unnoticeable smile. However, he knew that, deep in his heart, they were good people to spend time with. The group’s banter and dynamic always helped him escape from reality each time it became harsh and hard to handle. If it hadn’t been for them and for their friendship that had bloomed way back in middle school, Sasuke knew he would have vanished from the world long ago.

As dumb and loud as his friends could be, they were also kind and supportive in their own special ways: the most kind and sensitive person was Juugo who, in the past, had decided to start taking meditation and yoga lessons. Later, those helped him control his inner fears and anger, turning him into a man with a peaceful aura;

Sasuke had always known about Karin’s crush on him but, despite her sometimes “fangirlish” attitude, she could be a very sensible woman. Apart from that, in Sasuke’s view, Karin had quite a great inner strength that still remained unknown to herself;

As for Suigetsu...well, ever since the day Sasuke met him, he immediately noticed his completely carefree attitude; something that Sasuke both admired and envied. Despite the tiny spark of envy he felt sometimes, Suigetsu’s nonchalant manner could really get on his nerves.

Sasuke wouldn’t get as annoyed at Suigetsu as Karin, though. Those two used to fight like cats and dogs back when they were just dumb immature teenagers but now that they were both adults (and hopefully mature), they were starting to get closer and closer. Sasuke could notice their closeness despite it being hidden by all the teasing and the fussing. He wouldn’t be surprised if they started dating.

Suigetsu hadn’t told Sasuke where they would be having lunch but he already knew where to head to.

The group was waiting for him outside _Ichiraku’s_, a ramen place that also served other type of dishes. However, it was a well-known restaurant between ramen enthusiasts. Apparently, his friends were craving some ramen.

“So, were you able to get your work done by lunch time?” his icy blond-haired friend was waving at him as he was getting closer.

“Is that the correct way to address and greet another gentleman, Suigetsu?” Sasuke teased.

His friend simply shrugged, smirking in a way that showed his unusual sharp teeth. His facial expression at that precise moment could be considered the definition of delight, precisely because his eyes shone with pure pleasure and satisfaction.

“I love messing around with people. You guys know that!” the man shoved his hands into his pants’ pockets, still smirking.

“No way Sasuke doesn’t know that! It only takes a look at you for people to realise you definitely have a screw loose, idiot!” Karin smacked him on the head.

The man just shoved her, walking to the door.

“You’re such a drag, woman”

“Don’t talk to me like that, Suigetsu!” Karin was pointing a finger at him, visibly trying not to raise her voice.

“You’re right.” The man paused such as to suggest he was considering her words. “Let me correct it. You’re such a drag, crazy woman.” he smirked, entering the restaurant.

Karin rushed to him, murmuring cuss words after cuss words. Juugo tried to calm her down. Sasuke was the last one in the group to enter the restaurant.

Their group was always like that no matter where they were. Sasuke was glad their dynamic hadn’t changed with the years now that they were all grown up, each one with their responsibilities. He would have been seriously concerned if it had.

Suigetsu was drinking water from a straw as per usual. Sasuke didn’t know why but the other man had always been like that.

“For someone who loves water and the ocean, shouldn’t you be using a reusable straw instead?!” Karin inquired him. A tone of aggression would be sensed in her voice.

“Calm down! I forgot my kit of reusable straws. I usually leave them on my bike since I have another one at home, obviously. Can’t a man, these days, make a mistake without being judged by someone like you?”

“Someone like wh-?“ Juugo cut Karin short.

“Come on, guys. We haven’t been all together like this in a long time. Can’t you calm down or just take it outside? No one in this restaurant wishes to be perturbed by your banter.” Juugo’s tone of voice reflected his personality; calm and quiet, yet very firm. Juugo, Sasuke would say, was probably the pillar or the glue of their group and friendship.

Strangely, though, Sasuke couldn’t tell his own role in the group. There were always roles, right? Or was that just another worthless society’s concept? Although Sasuke had a very analytical mind, he had been wondering which role he had in their group ever since they met. But that wasn’t the only context in which he felt “lost”. Questioning himself, his existence, his role was something he had always done even as a child. Would his doubts disappear one day?

Regarding his group of friends, even many years later, he was still wondering but he could never open up to someone about his. He wasn’t much of a person who liked to share. His friends used to call him “the mysterious guy” but he found that to be ridiculous. Sure, he wasn’t the talkative type and he had a preference for darker colour palettes but did that “make” him a mysterious man?

_‘Tch! Ridiculous, simply nonsensical.’ _he snorted, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

Karin’s voice brought him back to reality.

“Hey, Sasuke...?”

“Earth is calling Uchiha Sasuke!” joked Suigetsu waving his hand in front of his friend.

“You seem tensed and tired.” the group fell silent when Juugo spoke.

“Have you been having enough sleep? Karin’s voice was soft. A very rare phenomena, as Suigetsu would say.

“I’ve just been struggling to fall asleep.” three pairs of caring eyes observed him worriedly, expecting him to continue.

“And” – continued Sasuke –“I’ve been waking up at night every two or three hours. It’s really annoying, actually.”

Sasuke didn’t even bother to look at his friends, deciding to sip on his saké instead.

“You know what you need, Sas? Physical exercise.” Sasuke’s eyes fell on Suigetsu’s “Don’t get me wrong. You’re fit, lean and all that but studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have less struggle falling asleep or sleeping, therefore, they sleep the whole night up until their alarm rings while their bodies rest.”

“You sound all mighty, pretentious and shit but” – Karin turned to Sasuke” – he’s right.”

Well, despite the fact that he would like to exercise more, as a teacher, he found it hard to keep up with a working out routine or whatever his friends were suggesting.

“I am a teacher, guys. I work even after coming home from school. How the heck do you all think someone with my schedule can find time to keep up with something like that?” Sasuke was slightly furrowing his brows, arms crossed. This time, however, he wanted to pay attention to what they were saying. He leaned back on his chair, waiting for an answer.

He snorted. As expected, everyone was silent. He could hear his friends’ gears turning.

“See?” he said “It’s hard. Yesterday, I woke up earlier than usual but I decided not to waste any time. So I remembered that the city’s park was just a couple blocks away which gave me the perfect excuse to do some exercise but that was just a “one time” type of thing.”

“You went jogging then?”

“Yes. I even bumped into a guy because I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going.”

“Was the guy cute, Sas?”

“Suigetsu! Stop smirking, you idiot! Shut up and let him talk!” Karin was so furious her face was as red as a tomato both because she wanted to hear Sasuke speak and because she was curious about the guy her “still crush” had bumped into.

Naturally, Sasuke shook his head, rolling his eyes. Juugo asked a waitress for the bill.

“Anyways, you won’t tell anything so I don’t even know why I bothered to ask. However, my dear friend” – Sasuke cringed at those words – “Do you know the best and most complete form of exercise?” he paused to suck on his straw “swimming. Swi-mming, my dude. If you do it, then no one will leave you alone with your swimmer six packs” Suigetsu smirked, struggling not to chuckle.

If looks could kill, Suigetsu would be falling dead right at that moment. Karin cussed at him under her breath.

“You could give it a try, Sasuke. You could do it once a week, on Saturdays morning. I’ve heard the coach on that session is quite good with beginners.”

Suigetsu was hugging his belly because he couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. Some heads turned in the restaurant but he would never get embarrassed by that.

“You’ve just been roasted by Juugo!!” he continued laughing. Karin was shaking from trying so hard not to punch him hard right there.

Sasuke took a moment to consider his friend’s advice.

“I guess I could at least give it a try.” even though he didn’t have any particular expectations.

“Even if you do it once a week, your mind and body will still benefit from it” Karin’s eyes shone differently when she mentioned Sasuke’s body. Maybe she really was hopeless.

“Hn” Sasuke was pensive but he had already made a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have written this when I published the last chapter but I sincerely apologise for my long hiatus. Depression happens sometimes hah. But no worries, my dear readers, the motivation to write seems to be here to stay.
> 
> As per usual, if you find any mistakes or if you just want to say hi, leave a comment down below! :3
> 
> PS: I've already started chapter 5 😘


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dear readers. 
> 
> Thank you so much for waiting so patiently for my updates.  
Here's something very important about this chapter: certain parts towards the end might trigger those who are more sensitive. For that matter, I've updated the tags on this fic. Please, read with caution. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Stay safe, my darlings. <3

Naruto was up at 6:30 AM as per usual. As a kid, he had struggled a lot to become disciplined, especially regarding his training routine. The problem wasn’t him not doing it. The issue was that he seemed to never know when to stop, when to rest, ending up exhausted. However, as years went by, he matured and, thanks to that, he had become a better athlete and a better man – a better human being in general.

Nevertheless, on Sundays he had a more “relaxed” work-out routine so as not to push his body too hard. He had had enough of that in the past and he had learnt the lesson: resting must always be part of a routine because it was just as important as the training itself.

While he was preparing something to eat for lunch, it occurred to him that it would be beneficial for him to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and drive to somewhere quieter where he could be more in touch with Nature.

Sakura had sent him a text earlier, inviting him to go to the arcade after lunch but he refused. She wouldn’t let him get away so easily, though.

_“You could at least have dinner with me and Ino!”_

_“And be the third wheel during a whole dinner? Nuh-uh!”_ Naruto chuckled softly, imagining his friend rolling her eyes.

In the end, he ended up accepting the invitation, not knowing if anyone else had been invited. He couldn’t say ‘no’ to his friends, especially Sakura. Besides, he knew he already spent enough time alone, whether while training or at home so seeing other people and seeing his friends was refreshing.

He liked being alone as much as he liked being surrounded by people. However, he hated loneliness. Being alone and being lonely were two very contrasting concepts. That’s how he viewed the world, through his very open mind.

He loved learning new things and meeting new people, always looking forward to broadening his horizons. But he believed that much could be learnt from simply observing Nature. Every once in a while, Naruto liked to go see the sea or follow paths through the middle of the woods. Sometimes, he would take his camera with him. Something he wasn’t sure of was whether photography was a form of appreciating Nature or if it was a distraction from it. He had wondered that many times but he had yet to find an answer. That wasn’t the type of thing that worried him or bothered him as he liked to go with the flow and let the Universe give him the answer to his questions whenever he was ready.

After eating his lunch, he packed his favourite backpack and entered his car. Once he was seated and ready to go, it took him some time to decide where to head to. A long river named “Old Leaf” had its headwaters in the city, crossing it to then meet the sea.

Naruto turned on his car. He had already decided where to go to: the _Old Leaf’_s headwaters, very important in the city’s history and for its inhabitants.

As he had expected, there was quite a lot of traffic. Nothing he wasn’t used to. None of that mattered to Naruto, though. He already was in the habit of taking alternative routes and less busy roads; after all, they would lead him to his destiny anyways.

Naruto had only been once at the _Old Leaf’s_ headwaters. He was a small child back then. He had very fond memories of that day. He still remembered how his red-haired mother grabbed him tightly to prevent him from jumping into the river or from accidentally falling while his father was trying to take a good photo of them to record the moment. Naruto had already a lot of energy at the young age of five but his parents knew him well.

There was a photo portraying the three of them, though. That was the one Naruto kept with him at all times inside his wallet that used to be his father’s. Despite that, he couldn’t look at it for long periods of time. He knew that, if he did that, he would have flashbacks of when his parents died. He couldn’t handle such a great pain. Besides, that would only make him feel sick. Not just physically but also mentally. Naruto promised himself not to succumb to pain once again. He had done that enough as a kid and as a teenager.

Naruto couldn’t tell why his heart had lead him to that place but he was a firm believer that everything had a reason to be. The _Old Leaf’s _headwaters had long been a relevant natural attraction in the city. When he arrived, Naruto parked his car in the parking lot where visitors could park their vehicles for free. People thought it was unfair to make profit off of a natural site. Naruto agreed. Nature should be appreciated but it shouldn’t be used to feed Humanity’s greed. Only in symbiosis could Mankind and Nature coexist.

He could already hear the relaxing sound of the waterfall and the sound of the river flowing. Its headwaters were a quite tall waterfall. Naruto had always felt fascinated by it. How could there be so much water underneath the earth? As a child, he already gravitated a lot towards water but, after visiting that place with his parents, he had gained much more respect for Mother Nature and his interest in it only grew.

_‘Maybe it’s imprudent of me to be here since it’s already too much for me to look at that photo.’ _Naruto wondered nervously. Nevertheless, he was ready to fight his demons.

He hadn’t told anything to Sakura about his spontaneous trip. She would get worried sick and he hated to worry his friends unnecessarily...or just in general.

He would leave that place as soon as it became too much for him.

_‘As soon as I feel even a hint of pain’_ he promised himself, clenching his fists to stop his hands from shaking.

Naruto picked up his backpack and his camera and headed to the site. It was just a short walk from the parking lot to there. His breath was becoming heavier and heavier, his body tenser and tenser as if the weight of the memories he was trying so hard to repress had been put on his shoulders. However, he had to keep going. He had to fulfil the promise he had just made to himself. He was a man of his word. There was no going back now.

Naruto stopped to catch his breath. There it was. Surprisingly enough, not many people were there which was great in his view. It was a cold afternoon despite it being quite sunny.

_‘The first actually cold day so far’_ he noticed.

He could barely feel the cold, though. Adrenaline was running through his veins. Naruto shut his eyes tightly, trying to move his focus from his rapid heartbeat to the splashing sound of the waterfall and to the chirping of the birds in the trees. It was hard but not impossible and he knew it.

His quick breaths and heartbeat got slower. His chest slowly moving up and down with each breath; his heart no longer beating frantically against his ribcage.

Naruto opened his eyes and continued taking slow but deep breaths. He opened his backpack and drank some water. All that adrenaline was making his mouth dry. Then, he clung to his camera that hung from his neck.

_‘I am here to appreciate nature. That’s all. I can do it.’ _Naruto clung even tighter to the camera so much so that his knuckles were turning white.

He was determined to take at least one photo of the place before heading back home. That would already be a big victory against his demons from the past.

So, looking through his camera’s viewfinder, he tried to capture the silkiness of the water flowing but then he figured it would be easier to do it using his camera’s small tripod. After that, he turned his focus to the waterfall, deciding to capture the water splashing against the rocks at the bottom. Because he was feeling slightly shaky, he decided to only take photos using the tripod.

Memories of his childhood flashed in his mind but Naruto tried to remain focused on the flashing sound of his camera’s shutter at the press of his finger, instead. He was actually finding photography quite calming. Naruto wasn’t as anxious as before.

In the end, he ended up spending around an hour there. He felt calmer and more relaxed on the way back home. He would export the photos to his PC as soon as he got home but first, he needed to take a well-deserved hot shower.

Naruto was proud of himself. Despite the few flashbacks he had had while photographing, he was able not to pay them attention. Nature really was a blessing.

After the shower, he realised he wouldn’t have time to export the photos and get to Sakura’s on time so he decided to head earlier to his friend’s house.

“Naruto, I’m glad you came!” Sakura hugged him tightly. He chuckled softly.

“As if I had any other options.”

“Only in your dreams” she teased him “Come in. Dinner’s ready.”

Sakura and Ino’s house was always impeccably clean and tidied. Naruto had many times wished he were just as clean and organised as the girls.

They had put up a lovely table with candles. The tablecloth was violet with small daisies on it.

Many plants and flowers were everywhere in his friends’ house. Not surprising, considering the fact that Ino owned her family’s flower shop.

“Hey, blondie! Good to see you!” Ino beamed at him. “The food is ready so you can go seat at the table.” she said, inclining her head in that direction and turning her attention back to the salad she was making “Honey, have you put the red wine on the table?”

“Of course” Sakura smirked, hugging her fiancée from behind and planting a gentle kiss on her neck.

“Ew, guys! If you start making out, I’ll leave and I’ll take this delicious dessert with me” Naruto pointed at the raspberry Charlotte that was on the kitchen’s island.

Everyone laughed.

They had already eaten dessert and, at that moment, the three friends were simply talking.

Naruto’s scarred cheeks were already pink from sipping on his glass of wine.

“So what was so important that you couldn’t go out with us?”

“Yeah” Ino interrupted “We all had so much fun! It’s a shame you weren’t there.”

She poured herself more wine but, looking at Naruto’s face, she decided that he too needed a second glass.

Naruto had told himself he wouldn’t tell his friends about his trip to the Old Leaf’s headwaters but there was something in him that made him want to answer honestly as soon as he opened his mouth to speak.

“I went to visit the Old Leaf’s headwaters.” he answered, not being able to look at his friends.

“You what?!” Sakura looked at him, furrowing her brows with worry.

“Naruto...” Ino slowly put down her wine of glass, visibly trying to process what she had just heard. 

They all fell silent for a while. To Naruto, it felt way too long.

“How are you feeling?” Sakura extended her hand to Naruto. Her voice was as soft as silk.

“I’m good.” Both Ino and Sakura looked at each other and then at Naruto again “Really, guys. I’m good. I took a ton of photos. At first it was hard but I kept my focus on nature and on photographing. I actually ended up spending more time than I thought I’d ever be able to.” he giggled, scratching the back of his head.

“Are you sure, Naruto? You can talk to us about anything, okay?” Ino reassured him.

He simply nodded.

After a couple of hours, Naruto decided it was time to head home and sleep. He thanked his friends for the meal and the talk and left.

Naruto was ready to go to bed as soon as he arrived home. He didn’t feel like seeing how the photos had turned out. He felt too tired for that.

Alone and lying in his bed, he couldn’t stop hearing Ino inside his head, her worried tone of voice echoing in his mind.

_‘Are you sure you’re okay?’_

“Am I sure?” he murmured to himself.

He rolled over to his right side, closing his eyes as if he was trying to tell his mind to shut up because it was time to sleep. However, he couldn’t. His mind wouldn’t stop reliving that day over and over again.

Naruto had felt confident at Sakura’s house about feeling fine after his trip but, at that moment, in the warmth of his bed, he didn’t feel so certain anymore.

And just like that, thanks to that tiny feeling of uncertainty, memories (demons) started overflowing in Naruto’s mind. Not just memories of that day at the headwaters when he was five but also memories from the car accident in which his parents had passed away.

He had always felt difficulty remembering the day when the accident had happened but visiting the headwaters again after so many years...

Naruto suddenly opened his eyes. Tears were threatening to fall down his face. He sat up on his bed, shaking both from fear and anxiety. All of a sudden, there was no more air in the world. Not for him. He clenched to his chest, gasping for air.

_‘They died on that day while we were heading back home from Old Leaf’s headwaters’ _Naruto realised.

At that realisation, he couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. He felt like his soul was being sucked out of his body as he felt so weak yet he was hurting. Hurting at the thought of his parents’ bodies covered in blood and in pieces of glass from their car’s windshield. He was in so much pain. He hadn’t felt like that in years, not since he was a teenager.

A part of him was telling him to breathe, just like he did while swimming. It was time to come to the surface to get more air. But Naruto couldn’t do it. He could feel himself drown in that pool of pain and sorrow.

He screamed and cried in agony into his pillow. He didn’t know what to do. He doubted he could fall asleep that night. He doubted he could even survive that night.

Despite him having lost his parents so young, he could still remember many things from back then. The feeling of being in his mother’s arms, listening to her singing him lullabies; is father’s smile and eyes, eyes as blue as the sky, as blue as his own; his mother’s bright red hair in the sun.

Those were sweet memories, he knew that. But his mind kept going back to those of the accident. Sometimes, good memories get tainted by the bad ones which can make them even more painful to deal with than the other ones. Naruto knew that.

Because he was afraid of him hurting himself, he called Sakura.

“Naruto, is everything okay?” Sakura sounded confused by his sudden call.

“Sa-Sakura? I-I need help. C-Can you c-come h-here?” Naruto could barely get the words out but that would be enough for his friend to understand the situation.

“I’m on my way. Stay still. It’s going to be okay”

Sakura’s voice was soft again yet firm but not enough to calm Naruto down.

In just a few minutes, Sakura was arriving at Naruto’s flat, ringing the bell.

Naruto noticed how worried she was as soon as he opened the door to her.

“Oh, Naruto... Do you want to talk about it?”

He simply shook his head. Talking would only make him feel worse. What he wanted the most at that moment was to calm down and maybe get some rest.

“Can you stay over?” he asked quietly.

“Of course, I can. I even came prepared” she said, showing her pastel pink pillow and a small red suitcase.

“Thank you.”

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay, Naruto.”

Sakura hugged him gently while he cried, letting him rest his head on her right shoulder. With one of her hands in Naruto’s back and the other arm around him, she slowly guided him to his bedroom.

It took Naruto some time to calm down but he knew he was safe with Sakura there to support him. They both fell quietly asleep not long after Sakura’s arrival. He was still in pain but, at least he could breathe again. That was enough for that night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading!

Naruto woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes. He slowly sat up on his bed, covering a yawn with his hand. His blue eyes roamed the room, spotting one of Sakura’s bags she would always bring whenever she would stay over at someone’s house.

“Right” he softly murmured, remembering all the things that had happened in the last 24 hours.

He took a look at his alarm clock. It was already 7:30 AM.

Naruto sighed, getting up from his bed and heading to the toilet. After he was ready, he headed to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Naruto.” Sakura had prepared pancakes and bowls of fruit with yoghurt.

“Morning, Sakura” he beamed “What is all this? I can’t remember the last time I had a breakfast like this!”

“This is just something I thought would help you start off the day feeling better. Do you want coffee, juice or chocolate?”

Naruto walked up to his friend and gently placed a kiss on her right cheek.

“Sakura, I really appreciate you being here for me but it’s okay now.”

Sakura was furrowing her brows, listening very carefully to what she was being told.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful” the blonde man continued “but you don’t have to do anything else. I have everything under control. I don’t want to burden you any further.”

Sakura shook her head, sighing deeply.

“Dumbass! You don’t have to put up a front when it comes to me. I’m your friend. It’s only natural that I support you no matter how easy or rough the times are.” she gently punched him on his shoulder “Even Ino got worried last night. She could tell you weren’t feeling well and that something was off.”

Naruto scratched the back of his head. His scarred cheeks were a bright pinkish tone.

“Thank you. We should eat the pancakes before they get cold” said Naruto as he returned to his seat.

Sakura sat right across the table.

“Would you like me to pour you some orange jui-“

Before she could finish her sentence, Naruto’s phone rang. He had just received a notification.

He unlocked his phone.

“Oh! It’s a notification from the game I recently started playing.”

Sakura burst out laughing.

“The one Sai was talking about the other day? _Unknown_?”

“Yes! I’m only on day 2 but there’s already a guy I despise. He’s so arrogant and annoying. Ew! He pisses me off.” he rolled his eyes.

Naruto looked at Sakura who was wheezing too hard for his taste.

“What are you laughing at?” he pouted, taking a bite off his pancakes.

“Oh, nothing... I already knew you would dislike Junmi.” she was visibly trying hard not to laugh. “But what’s actually funny is the fact Sai and Ino had commented that you wouldn’t like him at first but that he would slowly but surely grow on you”

Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion.

“Why would I like that trust fund asshole?”

“Well, he’s kinda hot, isn’t he? Besides” Sakura chuckled “you have to recognise that he’s quite funny”

“Well... he’s still an asshole. Besides he’s not real. I’m not going to crush on such an annoying fictional dude.”

“Uh-huh. Sai has pretty good instincts, Naruto. Just saying.”

“Let’s not talk about dark-haired assholes, shall we?” said the blond. He was flustered because no matter how much Sai annoyed him sometimes, he had to acknowledge his good instincts...which only made things worse.

**********

Another Monday, another work week.

Sasuke was looking at the ceiling when his alarm clock rang. He would always wake up before the alarm clock. It used to annoy him when he was younger but not anymore.

He decided to check his phone.

“A new notification from _Unknown_? Okay, let’s check it quickly”

A new chat room had opened.

Sasuke sighed at the sight of his least favourite character: a cocky grey-haired actor. He got on Sasuke’s nerves because of his narcissism and arrogance and because he was always picking on his character. His name was Zenjirou. Sasuke still couldn’t believe he was Karin’s favourite. But, at the same time, he shouldn’t be surprised considering his friend’s “bad” taste on men. After all, he knew she liked him. Unfortunately for her, he was gay. Was that bad taste or bad luck, though? Sasuke didn’t care enough to find an answer.

Anyways, Zenjirou or Zen (like Karin would call him) would always be his least favourite character. It’s true that Junmi wasn’t flawless either but he wasn’t as obnoxious as the other man. Well, maybe a little bit but not more!

Sasuke didn’t particularly like the other characters but he found the game to be quite interesting as it would get better the more he played. He couldn’t wait to find out which route he would get. He was only on the 2nd day out of the 11 days that each route lasted. He would only get one of the characters’ routes on the 4th day, 2 more days to go. The only aspect of the game he didn’t like was the time some of the chat rooms would open. Being a teacher meant not having much free time to enjoy hobbies but he had downloaded the game knowing that. Karin had already warned him of that fact.

After chatting with Zen and Jinsune (his character’s assistant) while getting ready, he quickly ate breakfast and headed to school. His first class of the day would be at 8:30. He couldn’t waste any more time.

“Alright, please hand in your essays.” Sasuke roamed the room, trying to spot who seemed not to have done their homework. “Konohamaru, where’s your essay?”

“I spent the weekend at my grandpa’s house and I forgot to bring the homework with me.” The boy answered in an unconvincing tone.

“That’s no excuse.” Sasuke sighed soundly. “You have until 10 PM to write it and email it to me, understood?” he then turned to the whole class “I think you all know that you might fail unless you do your homework. I don’t want to constantly repeat myself.”

The class fell silent.

“Very well. Now, moving on with the lesson, today we’ll talk about-“

On his break, Sasuke checked _Unknown_. He knew he had to check it regularly throughout the day if he wanted to continue.

A new chat room, a new conversation with Zen. Sasuke’s character, Junmi, had a black cat named _Edward the 2nd_ and, this time, Zen was annoying him with the fact that he didn’t like cats.

_‘What kind of person doesn’t like cats?’_ Sasuke couldn’t understand. Zen was supposedly allergic but he only seemed to dislike Junmi’s cat. _‘What an asshole’_

Sasuke put his phone down after finishing playing. His break would be over in a couple minutes and he needed to fetch some materials for the next lesson.

**********

“Are you sure you’ll be okay, Naruto?” Sakura was putting her bag in the back of her red Fiat 500.

“Yes, you don’t need to worry about me, Sakura. I’m feeling better, especially after that delicious breakfast and lunch!” he beamed.

“Alright but you know what to do in case you feel unwell. I’ll be doing the night shift but feel free to call me during the afternoon. In alternative, you can always call Ino or Shikamaru.” She said, walking towards Naruto, embracing him in her strong firm arms.

“Yes, mom.” The blonde laughed at Sakura’s facial expression.

It was almost 3 PM. He could still go to the municipal pools to train for a couple hours. Naruto didn’t want the day to go to waste just because he had had a difficult time the previous day.

He was already inside his car when he remembered to check his phone for messages or notifications and to see if a new chat room had opened in _Unknown_. He was relieved to see he had no missed chats during lunch.

Naruto sighed heavily when he saw he would have to talk to Junmi or the “trust fund asshole” like he would call him sometimes. The blonde was on day 2 of the route so, according to Sai, in 2 more days, he would find out which character’s route he would have to play. He crossed his fingers, wishing not to get Junmi’s. Each character’s route had several good, normal and bad endings according to his answers in the game. Naruto thought it would be easy for him to get a bad ending if he got Junmi and he didn’t like that at all. He doubted he could get a normal ending, let alone a good one.

‘I guess I’ll have to wait and see. For now, let’s get to training.’ He thought as he turned on his car’s engine.

“What are you still doing here, Naruto? It’s time to close.”

Naruto took off his goggles when he noticed his colleague’s hand right in front of him. He giggled, taking his hand.

“I got carried away. Don’t kill me, Gaara”

“Next time, I might just leave you here and lock the door.” The other man smiled gently, pulling Naruto to help him get out of the pool.

“You’d never do that. You’d stay here with me until I left.”

“I’d kill you for making me work extra hours. That’s what I’d do.” Gaara threw Naruto his towel.

“I love you too.” Naruto smirked, catching his towel.

Gaara’s smile disappeared for a millisecond before it came back. Although he was smiling, a trace of sadness could be seen in his green eyes. Gaara was used to Naruto’s obliviousness but he limited himself to burying his owns feelings very deep into his soul. He knew Naruto saw him as a friend, nothing more.

“Alright, don’t take too long showering and getting dressed. I’ll wait for you outside the entrance.”

“Okie dokie” Naruto chuckled, picking up his bag.

Gaara shook his head and left.

“I’m sorry for making you stay until so late. Do you want to grab something to eat? It’s on me!”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to make it up to me, Naruto” the red-head looked up to the sky. He couldn’t make eye contact with the blonde.

“Oh, come on! It’s the least I can do for you. I’ll feel bad if you refuse.”

Naruto pretended to be sad, giving Gaara his best “puppy eyes”.

The other man’s heart skipped a beat at that sight. Gaara had to take a deep breath in order to remain stoic. He sighed heavily, crossing his arms.

“I’ll ignore the fact that you just tried to manipulate me and accept your offer as long as we’re not getting ramen.”

“Your wish is my command.” Naruto smirked.

Gaara rolled his eyes, smiling softly.

“Oh, by the way, your sister dropped you off, right? Let me give you a ride. I parked my car right across the street!”

Naruto’s car was an orange Dacia.

_‘Of course his car is orange. Just like his towel, his swimming gear, his phone case.’ _Gaara thought.

“Alright, one of my friends owns a restaurant and I think you’d love the food. It’s delicious.”

“I trust your taste, Naruto.”

*********

Sasuke had arrived home exhausted from work. He had used all his free time at school to correct his students’ essays but he still had a ton left to correct.

He sighed heavily, taking off his coat and shoes. He’d make himself something for dinner and then continue his work.

While Sasuke was waiting for his food to cook, he checked _Unknown_.

Sasuke was almost done doing the dishes when he received a notification on his phone.

‘It’s probably because of the game. I’ll check it in a minute.’

Not even a minute had passed when his phone rang. _Imperial March_ from _Star Wars’ _OST started playing and that could only mean one thing. Sasuke sighed, picking up his phone.

“Itachi? Did something happen?”

_“No, I just wanted to see how my dear brother is doing.”_

“I’m tired from all the work I had to do. Other than that, everything’s okay. Anything else?”

_“I heard you enrolled in swimming lessons?”_

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

_‘Suigetsu... he must have told Kisame who then told Itachi. I’ll kill that water obsessed man.’ _He took a deep breath.

“Yes, I realised I’ve been needing some exercise. Maybe it will even help me sleep better.”

Itachi hummed softly.

_“I’m glad my little brother decided to take better care of himself.”_

“We’ll see if I enjoy the lessons and if it will help or not.”

_“I think it will. Besides, I heard that there’s this very –“_ Itachi paused as if he was looking for the right word _“attractive swimming coach. He must be around your age.”_

“I remember asking you not to act like a matchmaker, Itachi. I don’t need anyone else in my life to give me a headache. I already have you.”

The other man let out a chuckle.

_“It’s not the same and you know that.”_

“Yes but no one has caught my interest and I’m too busy of a person to be in a relationship.”

_“Once you find someone, you won’t even think of all those things. Trust me.”_

Sasuke snorted. Itachi was talking as if he were the most experienced man in dating when Sasuke knew for a fact that his brother had never even gone on a date since his high school years...more than a decade ago.

“Right... Anyways, I still have some work to do before heading to bed so I have to hang up.”

_“Alright, I won’t bother you any longer. Sleep well, little brother. Oh, what do you think of having lunch with me this Saturday?”_

“Uh, sure... I’ll see you then. Goodnight.”

_“Goodnight.”_

Itachi hung up.

Sasuke had accepted the invitation mostly because he hadn’t seen his brother in some time and, whether he liked to admit it or not, sometimes he really missed him.

_‘Okay. Time to get to work and then, sleep. Tomorrow will be another long day.’_

**********

“Oh shoot, I almost forgot to play the game!” remembered Naruto, unlocking his phone.

Gaara was sipping on a glass of white wine.

“Game?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah. It’s called _Unknown_. It is played at uncertain hours throughout the day so, in order to play properly and make any progress, I have to constantly check my phone.”

“I think my sister tried to play that game but it turned out that it wasn’t her cup of tea since it seemed to be quite complicated and time consuming.”

Naruto laughed, making Gaara’s cheeks turn soft pink.

“It is time consuming, indeed. I try to check it whenever I can but sometimes it’s really hard especially on busy days” the blonde said, looking at the phone’s screen. “Oh, forgive me, Gaara! I shouldn’t be using my phone at the table. I-.” He blurted out, visibly flustered.

“Don’t be.” the other man interrupted. “You were right. This restaurant’s food is surprisingly delicious and its ambience is relaxing. I think I remember my sister saying her boyfriend once took her here to dinner.”

“Wait a second. What’s your sister’s name? I don’t think I’ve ever asked that.”

“Her name’s Temari.”

“Temari...” that name ringed a bell in Naruto’s mind “That’s right! I met your sister last weekend! She’s dating one of my friends from school!”

Gaara couldn’t help but look surprised.

“So you know Shikamaru. He seems like a nice man. At least my sister is head over heels in love with him.”

“It was pretty noticeable as soon as I laid eyes on her. Shikamaru likes her a lot even though he’s not very vocal about it. He can be very reserved especially when it comes to his personal life. He’s always been like that. A little bit like you, in a sense, I’d say.”

The blonde averted his gaze when he felt his cheeks burn slightly.

Gaara cleared his throat.

“Should we order dessert?” he asked quietly, quickly changing the subject.

“Thank you so much for the dinner and for the ride, Naruto”

Gaara opened the car’s door to leave.

“Oh, please. It’s the least I could do for making you stay until late. Goodnight and see you tomorrow!”

“Goodnight, Naruto and be safe on the ride home.”

“Of course!”

As much as Naruto enjoyed going out, he couldn’t wait to lie in bed after such a long day. He still hadn’t recovered from all the turmoil of the previous day so it would be nice to have an early night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dear readers. I wish you're doing as well as one can do during such rough times. I apologise for the delay on the upload of this chapter but here it is! I hope it was enjoyable. What did you think of the addition of 2 new characters? Let me know your thoughts and I'll see you (hopefully) soon. ^.^


	7. Chapter 7

The following days had been hectic but Sasuke had finally been able to both correct and hand back his students’ essays and tests. Without the pressure of having to correct things until a certain deadline, he could finally breathe and have slightly more free time although he would always be busy.

He had just got home from another day of work. The sun hadn’t set yet and it had been a beautiful day. 

_ ‘It’s still a bit early to cook dinner and I could really use some fresh air. I think I’ll go for a walk’ _he decided as he changed into more casual clothes.

Sasuke found it difficult to go outside whenever his workload was heavy, like it had been for the past few days. For that reason, he would always go for a walk after more hectic days and he felt that that day was just perfect for that. 

So in a few minutes, Sasuke was once again, outside his apartment building, heading to the park.

Arriving at the park, Sasuke realised he had never taken enough time to truly appreciate it. He knew it had been named after its creator, Hashirama Senju, a well-known botanist specialised in that region’s flora. Apart from all the lush greenery, what made _Senju Park _stand out was the fact that it was crossed by the _Old Leaf_ _River _that had its headwaters not far from the outskirts of the city. 

When he was a child, his parents used to bring him and his brother to the park every so often. Sometimes they would even go on picnics which he really loved. As he grew older, he gradually stopped going there until he was in high school. After that, he and his friends would hang out at the shopping centre or at their favourite cafés and bars. Now that he was even older, Sasuke was relearning to once again appreciate the park’s beauty and the benefits of being around nature. 

Sasuke sat on a bench facing the river. The wind blew softly making the trees dance gently to the singing of the cicadas. 

There were a few people there but most of them were either walking their dogs or jogging. 

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, feeling the breeze on his face. 

_ 'This feels nice. I really ought to do this more often' _

He opened his eyes. 

Sasuke had brought a small notebook and a pen with him. Even though he liked to journal, he didn't always feel like it but he thought it would be good to simply jot some words down while at the park. It helped him clear his mind. 

When he closed the notebook, the sun had already set. 

_ 'Alright. Time to head back home' _

On the way back, he suddenly remembered the moment when he had bumped into a stranger the previous weekend. 

Sasuke wasn't one to get easily embarrassed. At least, that's what he'd like to think. However, in reality, that wasn't the case and, for some reason that was unknown to him, that moment still made him feel embarrassed.

He could already hear Suigetsu's voice in his head.

_ 'Maybe it embarrases you because you thought the guy was attractive?'_

That was certainly NOT the case.

Sasuke snorted. 

_ 'Not at all. He's just some random stranger anyways. It's not like I'll bump into him again.'_

For a split second his heart skipped a beat. He stopped to look around. No sign of a cute...uh...of a totally average-looking blond man. He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking. 

Sasuke arrived home in less than 10 minutes, ready to cook something for his dinner. While waiting for it to be ready to eat, he logged on _ Unknown _.

In a few hours he would finally know which characters’ route he would get. He just wished he didn’t get Zen’s. That would give him such a headache. 

It wasn’t easy to stay in character while interacting with other characters but Sasuke enjoyed the fact that he could immerse himself in the story and that its flow was directly affected by his own decisions. 

One thing he found both amusing and intriguing was the fact that even though the dialogues and the other characters were computer-generated, the conversations they had usually seemed so real that he sometimes wondered if there was someone else playing the game with him. 

He even questioned Karin about it.

_ ‘Nope, they’re all fake people. But I understand you because I had the exact same reaction.’_

_ ‘Are you sure?’_

_ ‘Yes, I’m sure…unless?’_

_ ‘Karin…’_

_ ‘Just kidding, just kidding! I wouldn’t think too much about it, Sasuke.’_

Karin was right. It was just a really well developed game.

Sasuke wasn’t a “gamer” by any means (that used to be Suigetsu’s thing back in high school) but he had to admit that _ Unknown _was really enjoyable even for someone who, like him, isn’t used to playing games. Karin told him the game would only get better and more complex from that point on so Sasuke was looking forward to that. 

It was nice to have some sort of escapism from his work. He couldn’t really say he had any hobbies. He was usually so busy that he found it hard to have time for anything else other than work and regular routine things. 

Maybe it had been a good idea to enroll in swimming lessons. Not only because he needed to exercise his body and because it helped him relax but also for the fact that it was another good distraction from everything else.

And with that, 15 minutes had passed. His dinner was finally ready. 

**********

Naruto's week had been pretty calm so far. He only coached after 5 PM when people leave work and school which left him with a lot of time to train by himself. 

That was something he was grateful for. His dream was to compete again and he needed to train harder than anyone else. Apart from that, he needed to find a coach as soon as possible. Naruto knew that no matter how hard he trained, he still needed guidance. Luckily, he had kept in touch with some people he knew back when he started competing. One of those people was his coach, Iruka Umino. 

They hadn't talked in a few months but they had never completely stopped talking to each other. 

More than a coach, Naruto considered Iruka to be his mentor. It was thanks to that man that he had been able to realise his dream of becoming a professional swimmer. 

_ 'I have to contact him soon.' _ was a thought that kept crossing his mind.

It was Wednesday night. Naruto had finally arrived home. 

He was sitting at the table, eating leftovers while scrolling through his list of contacts on his phone.

_ 'I can't call him right now, can I?' _ he looked at the time _ '9 PM… it's too late... Tomorrow I'll call him for sure. I just hope we can figure something out.' _

Without even realising it, Naruto was furrowing his brows. Having realised that, he sat back and exhaled slowly. 

_ 'No need to get anxious. It will be fine.' _

As if in search for a distraction, Naruto suddenly remembered to check _ Unknown _. He knew he had missed a couple chats because he tended to forget things while training or doing his work. Sai had warned him that he couldn't miss too many chats otherwise he'd get a bad ending for his story. Naruto didn't want that so he had been trying to participate in as many chats as possible. 

He clicked on the menu that displayed the messages, the calls he received from the other characters and the settings. 

Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw he hadn't missed many chats.

_ 'Only 3 chats? Pfffff. Then it's fine. Maybe I won't get...J-Junmi's route today.' _

Naruto could barely say that trust fund asshole's name in his mind. He was so annoying with his fictional cat and his fictional money. Poor Jinsune for being his assistant. Naruto would rather eat cat food for the rest of his life than work for someone like that. 

Okay. Maybe he was being too harsh but the man got constantly on his nerves. 

First, Naruto read the chats he had missed and then clicked on the new chat. He could see who he would be chatting with.

_ 'Junmi…' _

He sighed, clicking on it. 

Texts started appearing:

_ [Zen entered the chat] _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ I see you are here, Jinsune. _

** _Jinsune -_ ** _ Good evening, Zen!! _

** _Zen (Naruto) -_ ** _ Hi, Jinsune. It's good to see you! ;) Hello, Mr. Trust Fund. -_- _

Naruto waited for Junmi to greet him back but it didn't happen. 

_ 'What a jerk!!' _

** _Jinsune -_ ** _ I was hoping to see you here too, Mr. Hano. When are you coming to pick your cat? I thought you would already be home from the trip to the strawberry farm. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ I already am home. _

** _Jinsune -_ ** _ Can you pick Edward the 2nd up, Mr. Hano? There's so much cat fur around the flat. It will take me so long to vacuum it all. T.T _

** _Zen -_ ** _ This jerk left you taking care of his cat again??!!!! IT'S THE 3RD TIME THIS WEEK! _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Assistant Kato is not doing more than she is supposed to. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT WHEN SHE'S LITERALLY BABYSITTING YOUR DAMN CAT? Last time I checked, being an assistant and being a babysitter were two very different jobs. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Someone like you could never understand the honour that is looking after Edward the 2nd. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ SOMEONE LIKE WHO? JUNMI, YOU JERK! _

** _Jinsune -_ ** _ *sigh* That's enough, Zen. But I appreciate your support. Mr. Hano, please. Come pick it up. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ I would like to but I cannot do that. I am currently having dinner with my father and his new girlfriend. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ You're texting while eating with someone else? Could you be more rude? I seriously can't understand you. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Exactly. Furthermore, my father is too busy gushing about his girlfriend to care about my etiquette. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ I guess rich people are a different breed. _

** _Jinsune - _ ** _ *sigh* _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Indeed. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ DON'T AGREE WITH ME, YOU ASSHOLE! THAT WASN'T A COMPLIMENT! _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ No but it is a fact. Hence why I felt compelled to agree. _

** _Jinsure - _ ** _ Will you be able to come by after your dinner? If not, please come by tomorrow morning before I head to work. _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ I will let you know. Meanwhile, make sure to feed Edward the 2nd but don't give him too much food. _

** _Jinsune - _ ** _ Of course, Mr. Hano. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ You better pay Jinsune for the extra work you give her. _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ I pay her more than enough. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ Good. That's the least you can do. _

** _Jinsune - _ ** _ Anyways, I still have things to do before heading to bed. Please excuse me, Mr. Hano. Zen, goodnight. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ Goodnight, Jinsune. Don't push yourself too hard. Sleep well. _

** _Jinsune - _ ** _ Thank you, Zen. Watching your plays always helps me relax after a stressful day at work. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ I'm glad hehe. ;) <3 _

_ [Jinsune left the chat] _

** _Zen -_ ** _ Why are you still in the chat? I'd be annoyed if my son kept looking at his phone during dinner. What are you? A teenager? _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ I must leave. We are ordering our desserts. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ Goodbye. -_- Don't forget to pick up your fur ball. You put Jinsune under way too much pressure. _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ Of course I won't forget. I miss Edward so much. His fluffy paws and his pink little beans. Just thinking about how much I miss him breaks my heart. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ A-A-Achoo!! Ugh. My allergy is back. I'm leaving. _

_ [Zen left the chat] _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ He will never understand. _

_ [Junmi left the chat] _

That damn Junmi. Naruto hated people like him. They were the worst kind of privileged asshole. He could be a great businessman but that didn't give him the right to be an asshole, especially to his assistant. 

_ 'What a jerk! I swear that, if I get his route today, I'll restart the game. I don't care. I'm done with him' _

**********

According to what Karin had told him, Sasuke knew he had to participate in a last chat that would open before midnight. After playing it, he would finally find out which character's route he would get to play. 

His heartbeat was fast as he waited for the game to load. 

_ ! New Chatroom open ! _

Sasuke anxiously pressed on the icon to open the chat.

_ [ Junmi entered the chat ] _

** _Zen - _ ** _ Hey, asshole. You're back. Have you picked up your fur ball? _

** _Junmi (Sasuke) -_ ** _ Good evening to you too. Yes, I have. Both Edward the 2nd and I are home. I am currently drinking some red wine. Truly delightful. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ You're drinking wine on a weekday? Don't you have work tomorrow? _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ Of course, I do. But I believe that a cup of wine after a long day of work is very healthy. No matter the day. _

** _Zen - _ ** _ Whatever. I'm not in a good mood right now. :( I logged on here to distract myself but it's not helping -_- _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ Can I be of help? _

** _Zen -_ ** _ *sigh* I took a nap after taking a shower and I had a nightmare. _

** _Junmi - _ ** _ … _

** _Zen - _ ** _ I dreamed that none of us were real. That we were just AIs in an interactive game. It was so creepy. _

Sasuke furrowed his brows. That was a weird chat. 

** _Junmi -_ ** _ I personally think dreams don't have secret meanings. I think they are the reflection of our own thoughts and problems we might be trying to solve. I wouldn't think too much about this. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ Do you think someone is reading our messages? _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Well, this chat room was developed by Seirou and it's supposedly very hard to hack it. Seirou is a genius hacker. I fully trust him and his skills. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ That's true but sometimes it feels like someone's watching. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ No one is. If anything suspicious happens, Seirou and V will let us know. _

** _Zen -_ ** _ You're right. I think I'm heading to bed. Bye. _

** _Junmi -_ ** _ Goodnight. _

_ [ Zen and Junmi left the chat ] _

'_ Well, that was weird. Let's see who I got' _

A picture of Zenjirou appeared right under the menu that showed all the 11 days of the game and their chats.

_ 'SERIOUSLY?? I GOT ZEN?????!!! HOW??!!!!!' _

Sasuke put his phone on his bedside table and turned off the lights. 

_ 'Tch. I can't believe I got the most annoying character. Oh well.' _

Sasuke didn't like Zen but he was curious about how the story would go from that point on. So far, nothing special had happened. The characters mostly talked about planning the big party that would happen at the end of the story. 

Junmi, his character, had to read emails, exchange information with Jinsune, make decisions about the party guests and other things apart from his work outside the organisation. 

Sometimes he found it hard to pick certain options. Since the ending of the story is influenced by the player's choices of dialogue, Sasuke was always afraid of picking the wrong option. 

Sasuke closed his eyes. He fell asleep not long after that. 

*********

"What the heck was that?" Naruto murmured with a confused look on his face. 

He had just finished playing the last chat that would determine the character's route he would get to play. 

In that last chat, Zen (Naruto) had talked once again with Jumin. The other man had finally picked up his cat and was drinking wine.

What startled him was Junmi's behaviour, though. For once, he wasn't being an annoying asshole. That in itself was weird enough. But then Naruto quickly realised that the character had had too much to drink.

Junmi kept talking about his cat and his father and about how so many people in his life didn't see him for who he was. They only cared about his looks or about how much profit he made.

At some point, Naruto thought the man was about to have a mental breakdown of some sort but it didn't happen. Junmi simply apologised for his mood and left the chat. 

_ 'What the heck did I just see?' _

Naruto was still extremely confused. But then he remembered.

'_ Oh right!! Let's see who I got' _

Naruto couldn't believe it. 

"I GOT JUNMI????? WHAT THE—?"

He shook his head slowly, sighing soundly. 

"Well… It's been 4 days since I started the game. I don't feel like going through this all over again just yet. I guess I'll continue playing."

The blonde was already in bed. He closed his eyes, hugging one of his pillows. 

_ '7 more days of putting up with Junmi. 7 more days.' _he kept repeating to himself.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one is going to be very interesting. 😏
> 
> As per usual, feel free to let me know your thoughts. 
> 
> Stay safe! ❤️


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